I 352 
place where it grew, much to the surprise of my attendants, 
who evidently thought I had gone crazy. When I reached 
the spot where it grew it appeared more beautiful even than 
it had done in the distance. Its stem was perfectly straight, 
like Cryptomeria, and its leaves were formed like those of 
the weli-known arbor-vitas, only much more slender and 
graceful. This specimen was fortunately covered with a 
| quantity of ripe fruit, a portion of which I was most anxious 
to secure. The tree was growing in some grounds belong¬ 
ing to a country inn, and was the property of the innkeeper. 
A wall intervened between us and it, which I confess I felt 
very much inclined to get over ; but remembering that I was 
acting Chinaman, and that such a proceeding would have 
been very indecorous, to say the least of it, 1 immediately 
gave up the idea. We now walked into the inn, and, seating 
ourselves quietly down at one of the tables, ordered some 
dinner to be brought to us. When we had taken our meal 
we lighted our Chinese pipes, and sauntered out, accom¬ 
panied by our polite host, into the garden where the real 
attraction lay. “ What a fine tree this of yours is ! wo have 
never seen it in the countries near the sea where we come 
from ; pray give us some of its seeds." “ It is a fine tree,” 
said the man, who was evidently much pleased with our ad¬ 
miration of it, and readily complied with our request. These 
seeds were carefully treasured ; and as they got home safely, 
and are now growing in England, we may expect in a few 
years to see a new and striking feature produced upon our 
landscape by this lovely tree. Afterwards, as we journeyed 
westward, it became more common, and was frequently to be 
seen in clumps on the sides of the hills. This tree has 
been named the Funereal Cypress. 
The Bamboo. —The bamboo is one of the most valuable 
trees in China, and is used for almost every conceivable pur¬ 
pose. It is employed in making soldiers’ hats and shields, 
umbrellas, soles of shoes, scaffolding poles, measures, 
baskets, ropes, paper, pencil-holders, brooms, sedan-chairs, 
pipes, flower-stakes, and trellis-work in gardens ; pillows are 
made of the shavings ; a kind of rush cloak for wet weather 
is made from the leaves, and is called a So-e, or “ garment 
of leaves.” On the water it is used in making sails and 
covers for boats, for fishing-rods, and fish-baskets, fishing- 
stakes, and buoys ; catamarans are rude boats, or rather 
floats, formed of a few logs of bamboo lashed firmly to¬ 
gether. In agriculture the bamboo is used in making aque¬ 
ducts for conveying water to the land ; it forms part of the 
celebrated water-wheel, as well as of the plough, the harrow, 
and other implements of husbandry. Excellent water- 
pipes are made of it for conveying springs from the hills, to 
supply houses and temples in the valleys with pure water. 
Its roots are often cut into the most grotesque figures, and 
its stems finely carved into ornaments for the curious, or 
into incense-burners for the temples. The Ning-po furniture, 
the most beautiful in China, is often inlaid with figures of 
people, houses, temples, and pagodas in bamboo, which 
form most correct and striking pictures of China and the 
Chinese. The young shoots are boiled and eaten, and 
sweetmeats are also made of them. A substance found in 
the joints, called tabasheer, is used in medicine. In the 
manufacture of tea it helps to form the rolling-tables, 
drying-baskets, and sieves ; and last, though not least, the 
celebrated chop-sticks — the most important articles in 
domestic use—are made of it. However incredulous the 
reader may be, I must still carry him a step further, and tell 
him that I have not enumerated one-half of the uses to 
which the bamboo is applied in China. Indeed it would be 
nearly as difficult to say what it is not used for as what it is. 
It is in universal demand, in the houses and in the fields, 
on water and on land, in peace and in war. Through life 
the Chinaman is almost dependent upon it for his support, 
nor does it leave him until it carries him to his last^ resting- 
place on the hill-side, and even then, in company with the 
cypress, juniper, and pine, it waves over and marks his 
tomb. 
Discovery of Wistaria Chinensis. —The Glycine, or 
Wistaria Chinensis, has been long known in Europe, and 
there are large trees of it on many of our houses and 
garden-w'alls. It was introduced into this country from a 
garden near Canton, belonging to a Chinese merchant 
named Consequa; but it is not indigenous to the south of 
China, and is rarely seen in perfection there. Indeed the 
September 2. 
simple fact of its being perfectly hardy in England, shows 
at once that it has a more northern origin. Before the last 
war with China, foreigners were confined to narrow limits 
about Canton and Macao, where they had no means of 
knowing anything of the more hardy plants of the north, 
which they sometimes met with in gardens, and introduced 
into Europe. Now, however, we can prosecute our botanical 
researches in a country which is nearly a thousand miles 
further to the north-east, and at many other places which 
lie along that line of coast. The island of Koo-lungsu, for 
example, near Amoy, was taken by our troops during the 
war, and occupied by them for some years, according to 
treaty, until a portion of the ransom-money was paid. It 
seemed to have been a place of residence for many of the 
mandarins and principal merchants in peaceful times, and 
boasted of its gardens and pretty fish ponds. When I first 
saw these gardens they were mostly in a ruinous condition, 
and everywhere exhibited the fatal effects of war. Many 
beautiful plants, however, still continued to grow and 
scramble about over the ruined walls. Captain Hall, of the 
Madras army, who was stationed there for some time, was 
very fond of botany, and took great pleasure in pointing out 
to me all the plants which he met with in his rambles. “ I 
have good news for you," said he one morning when I met 
him; “ come with me and I will show you the most beautiful 
plant on the island. I have just discovered it. It is a 
creeper, produces fine long racemes of lilac flowers before it 
puts forth its leaves, and is deliciously fragrant.” What 
could it be ? was it new ? would it produce perfect seeds ? or 
could young plants be procured to send home ? were ques¬ 
tions which rapidly suggested themselves. It is only the 
enthusiastical botanical collector who can form an idea of 
the amount of excitement and pleasure there is when one 
fancies he is on the eve of finding a new and beautiful 
flower. Captain Hall led the way, and we soon reached the 
spot where the plant grew. There had been no exaggeration 
in his description; there it was, covering an old wall, and 
scrambling up the branches of the adjoining trees; it bore 
long racemes of pea-sliaped flowers, and scented the sur¬ 
rounding air with its odours. Need I say it was the beautiful 
Wistaria ! But it was not found in a wild state even at Amoy, 
and had evidently been brought from more norther latitudes. 
The following is a list of the Horticultural and 
Poultry Shows of which we are at present aware. We 
shall be obliged by any of our readers sending us ad¬ 
ditions to the list, and giving the address of the Se¬ 
cretaries. 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
Aberdeenshire, Sept. 17. (Sec. G. Reid.) 
Allendale, Sept. 11th. (Secs., G. Dickinson and G. J. 
French.) 
Bath, Sept. 16th. (Sec. H. T. St. John Maule, Esq.) 
Bridgewater, Sept. 22. (Secs., Mr. J. Leaker and Mr. 
J. Hayward.) 
Brigg, Sept. 15tli. (Sec. Mr. D. Nainby, Jun.) 
Bury St. Edmunds, Sept. 10 (Abbey); Nov. 26 (Chry¬ 
santhemums). (Sec. G. P. Clay, Esq,) 
Caledonian (Inverleith Row), Edinburgh, Sept. 2, Dec. 2. 
Chepstow, Sept. 14. (Sec. J. F. Hartland.) 
Clapham, Sept. 11. 
Colchester and East Essex, Sept. 8, at the Rev. T. 
Round’s grounds, Holly Trees, All Saints. 
Coventry and Warwickshire, Aug. 31st. (Sec. Dr. 
Phillips.) 
Dumfries and Galloway, Sept. 9th. (Sec. Mr. W. G. 
Johnstone.) 
Durham, Sept. 8. 
Forfarshire (Eastern), Sept. 15 (Arbroath). 
Glasgow, Sept. 10. 
Hampshire, Sept. 9 (Southampton), Nov. 18 (Winches¬ 
ter). (Sec. Rev. F. Wickham, Winchester.) 
Hexham, Sept. 15, 16. 
Hull, Sept. 16. 
Kirkcaldy (Fifesliire), Sept. 9. 
Lincoln, Sept. 14. 
Liverpool, Sept. 2 (Botanic Garden). 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
